Jobs
World Bank Job in Abuja for a Senior Communications Officer
The World Bank, a member of the World Bank Group, is a vital source of
financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the
world. Our mission is to fight poverty with passion and professionalism
for lasting results and to help people help themselves and their
environment by
providing resources, sharing knowledge, building capacity
and forging partnerships in the public and private sectors.
The World Bank Country Office in Nigeria is looking for a highly
organized, energized and experienced professional, capable of operating
effectively in a very demanding and fast-paced environment to serve as a
Research Economist in the Macro and Fiscal Management (MFM) Global
Practice on a Short-Term Consultancy contract spanning one year (150
working days) and subject to extension. Nigeria has the biggest
portfolio for the World Bank Group in the Africa region. In this
context, the MFM Global Practice has an expanding and critical work
program in helping the WBG meet development needs of the country,
particularly in a dynamic and fragile environment.
World Bank is recruiting to fill the position of:
Job Title: Senior Communications Officer
Job #: 160235
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Job Family: Communications
Job Type: Professional & Technical
Grade: GG
Recruitment Type: Local Hire
Language Requirement: English [Essential]
Background / General Description
- The World Bank’s strategy to help end extreme poverty and boost
shared prosperity in Africa takes shape across an array of programs
tailored to the circumstances and needs of each country. Working with
governments and other partners, the Bank is supporting delivery of basic
services, extending safety nets, ensuring food security, strengthening
small farmers, and supporting enterprise development. Investments in
human capacity and in strengthened institutions underlie development
strategies.
- Africa's recently robust growth rates are slowing due to lower
international prices for oil and other commodities on which a number of
countries depend. Meanwhile, stability and security concerns shape the
Bank's work in eighteen countries categorized as Fragile and
Conflict-affected States (FCS), where programs aim to accelerate state
rebuilding and lower economic disparities among regions and groups.
- Africa's most populous country, Nigeria has enjoyed solid
economic growth in recent years, but oil, which accounts for 90% of
exports and 75% of consolidated budget revenues, is reeling from global
price declines. And despite successful elections, security concerns from
Boko Haram in the north and related problems of displacement persist.
World Bank commitments in Nigeria of $1.7 billion in 2015 and $2 billion
the previous year underscore the country's strategic importance, and
its role as a major economic engine in West Africa.
- As Africa's largest economy, Nigeria carries huge importance for
the economic and social well-being of the entire region.
Notwithstanding its status as an economic powerhouse, Nigeria is
addressing virtually every challenge countries of Sub Saharan Africa are
facing: conflict and recovery issues in areas subject to Boko Haram
violence; institution-building and resource management; making social
safety nets more inclusive and reliable; improving energy supplies for
the population.
- The Senior Communications Officer for the World Bank in Nigeria
must have a firm grasp of this range of political, social and economic
challenges and must be well positioned to lead communications
interventions that support the country program.
- The successful candidate must have a deep knowledge and
understanding of Nigeria’s political economy and be positioned to engage
leaders with media, the private sector, academia and the full panoply
of stakeholders in the country.
- The Senior Communications Officer will have a good understanding
of reputation risk management and be responsible for supporting complex
Bank-funded projects in Nigeria, and for carrying out dissemination
strategies for Bank analytical work using creative tools including
social media.
- Candidates for the position should have a demonstrated capacity
for shaping public opinion and influencing the national conversation on
critical issues.
- As part of the larger AFREC team, the Senior Communications
Officer will interact regularly with colleagues in Headquarters and in
other field offices, as well as with operational teams in the Nigeria
office. A willingness to share knowledge, draw on expertise and help
create a supportive work environment is critical. The Senior
Communications Officer will report to AFREC's Communications Manager
based in Washington, D.C.
- Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff
member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain
his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 2
year term appointment.
- The individual should also be ready to provide strategic
communications leadership and support to other countries and partners in
the region when called upon.
- Throughout Africa, policymakers and their international partners
are recognizing the critical importance of advancing greater
integration among African economies, with the Bank and other donors
financing a growing portfolio of regional projects. In this context, the
Senior Communications Officer in Abuja Bank Office would lead
communications efforts in West Africa for regional projects and for the
larger agenda of promoting regional integration.
- Africa External Communications and Partnerships (AFREC) employs
an extended team of professionals in World Bank Headquarters and across
country offices to support the overarching goal of advancing inclusive
growth in Africa. AFREC uses the full array of communications tools and
methodologies to build awareness and understanding, and mobilize support
for development goals. Work programs cover dissemination through
traditional and online media, relationship building, analysis of
political and project risks, and design of programs to manage those
risks. A strategic renewal within AFREC emphasizes closer alignment with
operations in the region, and coordination with the Bank’s External and
Corporate Relations network, to ensure that AFREC services are critical
to regional and corporate priorities, and that they employ state-of-the
art communications tools to disseminate information, build
understanding, and connect the Bank to a variety of actors involved in
poverty reduction and development.
- Recognizing that Africa’s economic and social context is rapidly
changing, and that communications technologies have revolutionized the
ways that information travels, AFREC is building a team of dynamic and
innovative professionals prepared to use traditional and digital tools,
including social media and multi-media production, to shape the debate
on development priorities and trade-offs.
- The Senior Communications Officer will be based in the Bank
Office in Abuja, leading the communications program there, with
particular attention to providing strategic communications advice to
complex development projects the Bank supports in Nigeria. Given the
size of the investment portfolio in Nigeria, and the country's critical
importance to the region, the Senior Communications Officer will on
occasion lead teams on communications projects, and may recruit and
manage consultants to work on communications work. Collaborating with
AFREC professionals in the region and in Washington, DC, the Senior
Communications Officer will also support corporate communications
priorities, including dissemination of World Bank flagship publications,
executive visits to the region, and the Bank's Annual and Spring
meetings.
Duties and Accountabilities
- The Senior Communications Officer must have state-of-the-art
knowledge in field of communications and public affairs, and ability to
address a range of issues related to the Bank's business and
development, including taking the lead on highly visible and sensitive
assignments critical to the Bank Group.
- Events: Coordinates communications activities and events ranging
from press conferences to large seminars and town hall meetings,
involving external and/or internal audiences.
- Representation: Must be prepared to represent the Bank before
external and internal audiences, explaining WBG policies and operational
goals.
- Technical and advisory support: Advises Bank managers and
project teams on trends, news developments, or changing circumstances in
the political economy that may impact the WBG and its work. Having
identified such trends, must be able to fashion strategic responses that
mitigate risks.
- Provides regular communication support to WBG operational teams
and government implementing agencies to assure that project goals are
well-explained and that affected stakeholders are engaged. Must be able
to make strategic use of public opinion research.
- Resource management: Employs appropriate methodologies for
handling simple and complex procurement tasks and/or issues. Manages
specific line items of unit budget.
- S/he leads and implements effective communications and outreach
strategies to support the WBG’s corporate, internal, and operational
priorities, using the full range of modern communications tools
including social media, digital publishing, and multi-media production.
It is critical that the communications officer be equipped to gauge
risks associated with complex projects and to design and implement
strategies to minimize those risks.
- Strategies: Responsible for significant portions of leading the
design and implementation of strategies to promote effective
communications with external and internal audiences on Bank-financed
operations, research products, and campaigns. Must be prepared to employ
the full array of modern communications tools, including social media,
to reach key audiences.
- Risk management: On high-risk operations in the country, must
monitor perceptions, track shifts in opinion, and respond to inquiries,
while publishing and updating key facts about project goals and
milestones. Must be able to interact with operations staff and project
teams, organizing meetings with media and civil society as appropriate.
Must be able to take the pulse of the country and advise country teams,
with analyses on the political economy, especially during election
years, and regular monitoring of the media.
- Relationships: Must be prepared to identify opinion leaders and
influential organizations in Nigeria, and guide a strategy of engagement
with these various stakeholders, which might range from
parliamentarians to faith-based organizations to business associations.
- Must have experience mobilizing, and at times shifting opinions,
around critical issues. Must have experience in advocacy work,
particularly around strengthened governance, fiscal management and
transparency.
- Products: Responsible for planning and delivering a range of
written products on the Bank's operational goals, results and knowledge.
- Must be capable of writing clearly and concisely. Outputs range
from traditional press releases and Op-Eds to web features, brochures,
Q&As, briefing notes, and speeches. Responsible for updating the
World Bank's internal and external websites for the country.
Selection Criteria
Minimum Education/Experience:
- Typical candidates will possess a Master's Degree in
Communications, International Relations/Public Affairs, Journalism,
Political Science or related disciplines, with 10 years of experience in
designing and leading communications efforts, or equivalent combination
of education and experience.
- Communication Strategy and Execution in International
Development: Demonstrates a working proficiency to lead the planning,
development, and execution of a communication strategy for moderately
complex projects. Leads research efforts to identify and map project
stakeholders or intended audiences; leads media and audience outreach,
identifying audience needs. Independently implements communication
strategies for moderately complex projects and can use feedback from
evaluation tools to strengthen programs. Helps others develop this
competency.
- Broad Business Thinking: Capable of distilling an in-depth
understanding of the long term implications of decisions, both for
Nigeria and for the Bank. Involves the key players in identifying
operational needs, challenges and immediate solutions. Ensures that
decisions are supported by relevant stakeholders and can explain the
business case for decisions.
- Client Understanding and Advising: Looks at issues from the
client’s perspective and advocates for clients. Works with others across
the VPU to define client needs and develop the best approaches to meet
them. Asks probing questions to understand unmet needs. Focuses on
achieving sustainable results for clients, and proposes solutions to
mitigate risks.
Content Development and Editing:
- Takes full responsibility for the development of content for
timely dissemination. Can ensure the development of communications
products meeting WBG standards on structure, clarity, and
persuasiveness.
- Relationship Management, Political Awareness and Diplomacy:
Builds strategic relationships with critical internal and external
constituencies, fostering partnerships that strengthen support for
development objectives and mitigate reputational risks. Maintains and
leverages high-level communication networks and contacts within key
constituencies. Provides guidance to other internal WBG groups on how to
best manage critical relationships.
- Lead and Innovate: Contributes new insights into development
challenges and fashions solutions to complex problems. Adapts as
circumstances require.
- Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries: Appropriately
involves others in decision-making and communicates with key
stakeholders. Approaches conflicts as common problems to be solved.
Actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches, displaying a
sense of mutuality and respect. Integrates WBG perspective into work.
-
- Social Media, Information Channels, and Communication Tools:
- Demonstrates mastery of current media channels and tools,
including social media. Modifies communication strategies and products
to leverage innovative communication tools and channels. Must have
experience choosing communications tools and channels based on audience
research and strategic goal-setting.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply
Application Deadline 22nd February, 2016.